MSIP Proposal Milks Period 4

Transcription

1 part of Hebrus Vallis, V , probably lava-formed ( Tinjar Vallis, V , maybe water-formed? ( zoom a) MSIP Proposal Milks Period 4 Exploring Tinjar Vallis and similar channels on Mars to determine if they were formed by water

2 Picture from I. Introduction OUR QUESTION: What processes form channels like Tinjar Vallis? Why this question? We are interested to learn more about the potential for past or present life on Mars, and some channels have features that make scientists think they were formed by water.

3 Picture from I. Introduction OUR QUESTION: What processes form channels like Tinjar Vallis? OUR HYPOTHESIS: Channels that look like Tinjar Vallis will have features like Earth channels if formed by water.

4 Background Information Channels are areas characterized as having a downward motion that could be formed by water or lava (Allison et al., 2010). Where we live, we know channels made by streams, rivers, or other waterways the best. There are several reaches (lengths of stream/river channel; Dictionary.com:Channels) near us in Bloomington. Water channels are formed by erosion as surface water moves through a watershed. Over time, channels get wider and deeper as erosion carries away the banks and underneath (Allison et al., 2010). Different channels form on different types of materials. (Streams & Floods) Channels are formed by water taking dirt and rock away and making a stream. If the water evaporates, you can see the channels left over.

5 Images of channels on Earth caused by water Picture from Nebraska's Platt River is a good example of a braided river. In braided rivers, sediment causes the channels to divide and rejoin (Alison et al., page 414).

6 Images of channels on Earth caused by lava This channel was formed by lava flowing over the surface of the land. Scientists are now studying lava channels on Earth and finding features they thought only water could make (NASA Mission News).

7 We first got interested in channels by looking at Tinjar Vallis, shown in this THEMIS image. We were first looking at the colors and wondered about how the colors were formed, but then we decided we want to focus on water on Mars. We saw there might not be enough information for just one place on Mars to answer our questions about how often scientists see channels that might be formed by water. This channel might be a braided river due to how it branches and comes back together. It also might have been made by lava. We don't really know yet what the nearby area to this image looks like: are there other signs of channels that have been formed by water in the past? Or are there things we can see that show this channel might be lava-formed? V , We also don't know how widespread across Mars these types of channels are.

8 channel channel Attempted drawing of Tinjar Vallis channel

9 III. Experimental Design We will use images from the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS camera) on the Mars Odyssey (spacecraft) It was launched in 2001 About THEMIS and the Mars Odyssey Mission: Image from

10 III. Experimental Design What specific geologic features will you focus on for your study and why? Channels. We will focus on these to see how they are made and what other things they can find out about what other features are being made. We can learn about the formation of features on top of each other to find out the history. We are really interested in the history of water on Mars, because water is important for humans, and also are looking for water to see how they are made to see how much is there. What geographic regions, if any, will you focus on for your study? (For example, certain latitude bands, certain regions (northern or southern hemisphere), etc.). Note: It is not recommended to focus on one specific geographic location on Mars. We will focus on the geographic region surrounding 19 degrees latitude and 30 degrees longitude in surrounding areas of Tinjar Vallis. Also we will look at Mars as a whole to find other channels that look similar to Tinjar Vallis. V , either made by water or lava:

11 III. Experimental Design What website(s) will you use to gather your data and how will you use it (them)? - TO LOOK AT CHANNELS ACROSS MARS: We will use THEMIS Channels collection because we can see close up images of Tinjar Vallis and other channels that look like Tinjar Vallis. Channels that look a lot like Tinjar Vallis may have been formed by the same processes. - TO LOOK AT GEOLOGY NEAR TINJAR VALLIS: We will use JMARS for MSIP in order to navigate to Tinjar Vallis and view nearby elevation (MOLA) and THEMIS images.

12 III. Experimental Design What website(s) will you use to gather your data and how will you use it (them)? How many THEMIS images will you need to gather in order to answer your science question? - We will need to take 15 to 30 images to answer our science question about channels across Mars. We will need to take that many images in order for us to compare and contrast channels on the surface of Mars. We will have to see how many THEMIS images are near T.V. to figure out the second part.

13 III. Experimental Design As part of your experiment design, list the specific information you plan to record in a table from each image you observe, and why? FOR CHANNELS ACROSS MARS: We will use to record - Image identification # (V#): This will allow us and other scientists to reexamine the images we observed to check our data. - Latitude and longitude: This will allow us to map where each image we examine is located - Notes from description on THEMIS website about water (fluvial) processes or lava - Visible features (using Mars Image Analysis Help Sheet from first activity; usp=sharing is where Dr. Milks put it) FOR AREA SURROUNDING TINJAR VALLIS: We will use JMARS for MSIP to find THEMIS images and record - Image identification # (V#): This will allow us and other scientists to reexamine the images we observed to check our data. - Latitude and longitude: This will allow us to map where each image we examine is located - Visible features (using Mars Image Analysis Help Sheet)

14 IV. Analysis Plan Image #: Longitude: Latitude: Location: Notes from description: Visible Features using guide: IF TIME: Are there channels on Earth that look similar? If so, where? Will you plot your images on a map? If yes, please explain why? (What will this show you?) YES. We will plot our images on the colored MOLA elevation map of Mars. This will give us information about how channels similar to Tinjar Vallis that THEMIS has taken pictures of are distributed around Mars. We will also load THEMIS images in JMARS for MSIP from the area around Tinjar Vallis. This will show us the geology of the local region and where we have data available. OTHER: Is there any other way you will display your results (Annotated images, etc.?) - YES. If an image is very interesting, we will label the features using the guide we used in class.

15 Picture from V. Conclusion OUR QUESTION: What processes form channels like Tinjar Vallis? OUR HYPOTHESIS: Channels that look like Tinjar Vallis will have features like Earth channels if formed by water.

16 Picture from V. Conclusion Why this question? We will learn more about the water-history of Mars by learning about channels and trying to figure out whether water or lava caused them. It is important for astronauts traveling to new planets to have water... and it would be cool if there used to be conditions like Earth on Mars.

17 VI. References OUR REFERENCES: About THEMIS and the Mars Odyssey Mission. Retrieved April 20, 2013: Alison, M.A., DeGaetano, A.T., and Pasachoff, J.M. (2010). Earth science. Holt McDougal. Dictionary.com: Channel. Retrieved May 7, 2013: NASA Mission News: Lava likely made river-like channel on Mars. Retrieved May 2, 2013: Nebraska's Platt River. Retrieved May 7, 2013, from NebraskaFlyway.com: Streams & Floods: the geology of running water. Retrieved May 2, 2013: Themis Image of the Day: Featured Image Channels. Retrieved May 7, 2013, from Mars Oddesy THEMIS website: Watt, K. (2002). Mars Student Imaging Project: Resource Manual. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from Arizona State University, Mars Student Imaging Project Web site: